COUNCIL COMMUNICATOR

Cattle Council Focuses Dollars On Those That Make Decisions Impacting You

As the California Cattle Council rolls into our third year in operation, the value and importance of the organization becomes more apparent all the time. Prior to the Council’s formation, ranchers did not have an entity that fairly pooled resources across the various segments of the beef cattle industry to focus solely on issues that impact producers, your operations and your bottom line.

Based on average annual cattle sales in California, the Council brings in approximately $3 million to $3.5 million annually. This is a lot of money and certainly a level of resources the industry never had before to target producer and production related issues. That said, $3 million is a relatively small budget with the California’s costly media markets. As such, it’s necessary that the Council invest your resources strategically and carefully.

I’ll be straight with you, a $3 million budget does not give us the ability to reach every resident, voter and consumer in California. It does, however, give us the opportunity to target a specific group of individuals that make decisions that impact your business and life. Individuals working in and around Sacramento that are either legislators or agency personnel will be the target of the Council’s spring public affairs campaign. These individuals directly represent their constituents or work for individuals that make decisions on behalf of their constituents. Likewise, the employees that work for the myriad of state agencies in Sacramento and around the Capitol region execute the programs mandated by the legislature with the direction of the Governor.

It’s critical that these folks receive educational materials and our stories and opinions directly on the issues we face on the land and the production of our livestock. The Council cannot lobby, however it is our job to ensure that those that make decisions that impact our lives can do so with facts and information that demonstrate the good and beneficial things California’s cattle industry and you do on a daily basis for the production of food, our local economies and ultimately all the residents of our state. Our leaders need to understand and appreciate the environmental and economic values that go largely unseen at times or are easily overshadowed. We certainly do not want to experience the devastating results of a California that is absent or void of a thriving cattle industry in California.

It’s easy to get down about the challenges we face. Inflation, high input costs, market fluctuations, the absence of a sustainable and willing labor force, etc. all point to the challenges we face on a daily basis. That said, there is a lot to be positive about. We must not forget why we do this. In fact, I was reviewing the new U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service data that was released on Jan. 31, 2023 and California’s cattle industry is holding steady at 5,200,000 head in 2022. Drought and other factors have inevitably impacted cattle numbers in California. However, did you know these figures put California as the fourth largest producer of cattle just behind Texas, Nebraska and Kansas?

To that end, it’s critical we do what’s necessary to protect the industry we love. The Council will be launching our spring public affairs and media campaigns in the near future targeting the individuals that need to hear this information the most. Subjects will include the environmental benefits of ranching, upcycling, the benefits to our economy, growing opportunities for grazing to manage public and private lands, and many more. You are not the target of our campaigns so you may not be seeing our advertisements or social media posts directly. That said, never hesitate to visit our website to see the work we are doing. As we move through the spring, you will see new updates so please remind yourself to check back time and again.

Our board and myself remain honored to serve you and will continue to manage and invest the funds you’ve entrusted us with responsibly and effectively.